New Sheriff in Town
by pettyimperfections
Summary: Bethyl Fanfic. This is a post Beth being taken situation.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay so this is my first Bethyl fanfic. I am totally and absolutely in love with this ship and this story is my way of surviving until the show returns in October. I want to thank you in advance for taking the time to read. That is if anyone actually does read it *laughs nervously*. Feel free to leave reviews. **

When she first woke up, she couldn't remember where she was. At first she figured she must be at home in her bed, with the sun rolling through the open window. There was a ringing noise. Her cellphone? Probably Jimmy seeing if she was free for the day. But as her senses became more attentive she realized that the light was too artificial, that there was a dank smell around her and that he ringing was in her ears.

Beth's eyes flew open immediately, all she could see was a blur of figures standing over her and past them was an almost blinding light. Maybe they were talking, but she couldn't tell, all she could hear was that damned ringing. Her vision wouldn't focus either and panic was setting in. Where the hell was she!?

She knew this wasn't the farm. It took her a moment, but she realized the farm didn't even exist anymore. The walkers had taken it over and taken Jimmy and Patricia with it and rest of them were forced. Then there was the prison…but the lights where far too bright…and the prison no longer existed either. The Governor had destroyed that for them. He killed her father and tried to everyone else along with him. But she got out. She got out with Daryl.

_Daryl! _

It all came flooding back to her at once. She'd been with Daryl right up until the mortuary. She'd hurt her ankle while he was teaching her how to track and he carried her there. The place had been spotless, like somebody had been taking care of it and there where walker bodies in the basement that look like they had been prepared for a funeral. There was also food. Some food she'd never thought she'd see again. And just when Beth thought they might be safe for a while, walkers came swamping through the front door and Daryl told her to run… what had happened after that?

Beth's fingers curled into the sheet, "Hey!" her throat was rough and she couldn't tell if the words were even coming out properly. "Where am I? Can any of you help me? I need to get to…"

Before she could finish her sentence there was a pinch in her arm and everything went dark.

…

When she woke up the next time, she was more aware. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. To her surprise, her vision focused quite quickly and the ringing in her ears had stopped. The room was now empty and the light that she had seen before had now been lowered, but not so much that she couldn't see her surroundings.

The room was small, grey and box shaped. There was no windows and only one door, which she assumed was the way out. Beth sat herself up and realized she was in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV that was dripping steadily. But this sure as hell wasn't a hospital. And she sure as hell wasn't letting anymore of whatever was in that IV baggy into her body.

With a one swift movement the line was out of her arm and dangling above the floor, steadily dripping all the same. She then threw the covers off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. When she stood up and put her full weight on her feet, a groan of pain escaped her lips. Her ankle was not fully healed. If anything it felt worse. But there was no time to deliberate how bad it was. She'd tend to it later when she was out of this damn room.

Beth walked briskly to the door, ignoring the ache, and put her hand on the door knob. But of course when she turned it, it did not open. It was locked from the outside. She leaned her head against the door and sighed. Whoever had her in this room wanted to keep her there. But she had people to find and being locked in a room would just not do, so she started beating her hands against the door.

"HEY OPEN THIS DOOR UP RIGHT NOW! I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF I DON'T THERE WILL BE SHIT TO PAY!", she was yelling as loud as she could with her hoarse voice, "THERE WILL BE NO WHERE TO HIDE IF I GET OUT OF HERE MYSELF!".

She prayed the threat sounded as vindictive as she wanted it to. She was not the spiteful type, but she'd make an exception for these bastards if it came down to it. Which it just might of because she'd continued yelling and pounding on the door for at least five minutes.

Beth's voice was becoming quieter and quieter and the pain in her foot was getting harder to ignore, but she kept on until the door knob started to twist and started opening towards her. She took a step back and prepared herself for whatever was next. But she was taken aback by the person who opened it. A boy, probably a little older than her, and he was smiling.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa calm down please, I'm not gonna to hurt you," he put his hand up in front of him and waved them a bit to show her that they were empty. "I want to help you."

Beth tried to keep her guard up and spat out, "Who are you? And where am I?"

"I'm Gareth," he held out his hand. "Welcome to Terminus"

**AN: ANNNND that's the end of the chapter. I'll try to update as often as I can. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Termi-what?" Beth asked.

"Terminus," Gareth lowered her hand when she would not take it, but sustained his smile as he explained. "It is a sanctuary and community for those who make it here in one piece. We take people in all the time."

Beth put her hands on her hips and stared him down. She didn't like that smile he had plastered on his face. It seemed far too fake and she really didn't like the sound of his voice when he talked about those who arrived in one piece. It made her extremely uncomfortable.

"And can you tell me how exactly I happened to arrive here, Gareth?" Beth had no clue what happened after the mortuary and wondered if he would be able to shed some light on it.

"You really don't remember?" He sounded concerned but Beth couldn't tell how genuine it was.

"No, I don't. Enlighten me please."

"Well you stumbled upon me and my companion when we were on an outing, you were running down the road from something I guess, probably some corpses. You were screaming at us about needin' help, but when we approached you, you pulled your knife on us," Gareth rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and chuckled to himself, "You did get a few good swiped in on me, actually."

Beth glanced down and saw that he had long – but not particularly deep – slashes on his right forearm. She didn't exactly know if she should be feeling guilty about it or not.

"And well, we wanted to help you, but you wouldn't exactly let us… so my buddy just kind of bumped you over the head with the butt of his gun so you wouldn't hurt us or yourself. Then we got you into the car and headed here."

"Just me?" Beth bit the inside of her cheek and had a terrible feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah, you were the only living person running 'bout, besides us. Why?"

"I…I was with someone, that's why I was asking for help...we needed help…" Beth could no longer stand and sunk down onto the floor.

Gareth knelt down beside her, asking her if she was okay and gently touching her shoulder. Beth couldn't hear him though, all her thoughts were on Daryl and those walkers that she'd left him with. How there was no way she could of gotten this far without him and how she couldn't just leave him.

"Let me help you to the bed Beth," Gareth's hands were on her elbows now and trying to get her up.

"No," Beth shook him off and slowly stood up herself, "I don't need any more of your help. I'm going back."

"Back where?"

"Where do you think!?" Beth was ready for action, even though she had no clue where she was or how she was going to get back.

"Beth," that was the second time he'd said her name, she couldn't remember if she told him it or not, "there's no point."

"Excuse me?"

"We brought you here almost a week ago, if the person you were with survived, they'd be long gone."

…

It was took everything that was in Beth not to pounce on Gareth or run out of the room, she knew that would just give her more trouble. So instead she had forced Gareth out of the room, all while yelling a string of curse words at him and slammed the door in his face.

Now she was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to process everything. She had no idea where she was and she had been stuck in this tiny room for almost a week. The last time she saw Daryl there was a hoard of walkers bursting through the door, trying to rip him apart, and now he was God knows where with God knows who or…

Beth couldn't think of the other possibility. She refused to. There was no way that Daryl Dixon could be dead. He was strong and smart and he knew how to survive. He had to of gotten out. And if he had he would come looking for her…wouldn't he?

Of course he would. Daryl and her had been through so much together, he wouldn't just forget about her. She'd like to think that if she knew where to start that she would go looking for him and pushed all the doubts she was having to the very back of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl rolled restlessly in the bed until he found a comfy spot, not that it helped it any, he couldn't sleep for the life of him. To be honest he hadn't really slept since he ended up with these marauders. As a result he laid there, looking at the ceiling and listening to the chorus of different snores filling the house.

During the day he had plenty of things to distract him, like killing walkers and hunting. But at night nothing was there to block out the thoughts of Beth Greene. He wanted to know where she was, who she was with and if she was safe. It kept him up every night and every morning he paid for it.

Daryl would get up, after he couldn't take torturing himself anymore, and his entire body would feel heavy from the lack of sleep and guilt; guilt was always weighing him down. Tonight and the next morning would be no different.

Daryl closed his eyes and replayed the attack on the funeral home in his mind for the thousandth time.

When he opened the door he had expected it to be the mutt from earlier, but that wasn't what he got. It was stupid for him to open that door without checking, he was preoccupied with the conversation he'd been having with Beth and let it get the best of him.

That girl managed to get into his head so easily it scared him shitless. It also intrigued him how she understood him so much and that he could say what he needed to her without her judging everything he said. He wanted to protect her the best he could because there was just something about her that made him want to be close to her. But he failed and now she was gone.

"_I'm not gonna leave you!"_ That was the last thing she said to him and everything else was left unsaid.

He had come to the conclusion that someone had planned it. Those walkers were to get him out of the way so someone could nab Beth and it had worked perfectly. The car sped away and he had run all night after it, but it was no use, when he came to the crossroad he didn't know which way to go and she was long gone.

Finally, Daryl couldn't stand thinking about it anymore and he got out of the bed. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and tried to wipe away the gritty feeling. He walked across the room to the dresser, where he left his bag. He dug around in it for a few seconds until he was grasping a handful of dirt, roots and leaves and pulled the plant out of it. It was wilted and the fruit was a little mushy from being in the bag, but it wasn't an issue to him.

Daryl bit into the strawberry, _his _strawberry. He had claimed it. The word had come out of his mouth the instant he'd seen the plant on the side of the tracks and from that moment on it was his. That was the code.

"Now how's that strawberry tasting?"

Daryl turned his head and saw Joe leaning against the door frame. He didn't even hear him before he announced himself. Even if he was heavier set than Daryl, he was just as quiet.

"Fine. What are you doing up?"

"I heard a noise, thought I'd come investigate, make sure you weren't strangled to death and coming to turn us all."

Daryl knew Joe was really referring to his comrade, Lou. Joe mentioned him earlier that day.

"Well I'm not," Daryl wished the man didn't feel the need to constantly check up on him and make conversation. He liked brooding by himself.

"I bet that strawberry is damn good," Joe had a pleased look on his face as Daryl ate it. Daryl was playing by the rules and as the leader Joe liked when people played by the rules.

"I've had better," It wasn't exactly a lie, he probably had had better, Daryl just couldn't remember when.

Joe laughed at him and then continued on, "There ain't nothing better than something that belongs to you alone, and it only gets better."

"Hmm," Daryl finished his strawberry and thought about what Joe was saying. He couldn't sleep, but he had a bed, that was better than forest or concrete floors. But the next thing Joe said was not better.

"This shit we're tracking, we didn't just follow his tracks, there was at least another clear set of them, maybe if it's a woman…we may or may not all get our spoil."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably at that statement and watched Joe walk away laughing. Was that supposed to be joke? Daryl knew they were bad news, the second Len tried to pin the missing rabbit head on him, he knew. But were they going to stoop that low?

_There are still good people, Daryl. _

Maybe Beth was a good person, and maybe everyone at the prison were good people, but these men were far from that. They weren't just unfriendly, they were blood thirsty.

Len was 'taught all the way' for the trick he tried to with the rabbit. How far would they go with his man and the people he was with?

If he knew one thing, it was that he wouldn't be helping with this group with their revenge. He would stay with them for as long as he could. But as soon at things started going south that was going to be his cue to leave.

**AN: This took me forever because I don't really know how I feel in Daryl's mind set yet and I rewrote this a thousand times...give or take 992. **

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	4. Chapter 4

Hours after she kicked Gareth out of the room, Beth was still sitting on the hospital bed. There wasn't much else she could do, being locked in a room and all and it was driving her crazy.

She would have paced if she could, but her ankle was swelling up and throbbing. Beth inspected it, gingerly poking at it, and winced. For people who claimed they were trying to help her, they'd ignored a pretty obvious injury, considering it was definitely wrapped before she got to Terminus.

_Terminus. That is what Gareth called it right? _

Beth said the name aloud, "Terminus."

It wasn't a very welcoming name. But then again, the Governor's Woodbury sounded like a slice of heaven – a place where everyone was nice and said hello to you on the street. That wasn't the case.

Thinking about the Governor made Beth think of Maggie and the prison family. Daryl wasn't here, but Gareth said they took people in all the time. Could any of them be here? How large was Terminus? Was it run by a council or a dictator? Beth suddenly wished she hadn't kicked Gareth out of her room before he could tell her anything and she could ask questions.

She'd spent a fair amount of time thinking about Daryl and how stupid it was that she even ran down that road looking for help and things that she should have done differently, but now Terminus struck at her curiosity. Anyone from the prison had even a slight chance of getting here and that gave her hope.

As if he was able to sense what she was thinking, there were two knocks and Gareth was standing the doorway waving a white handkerchief not ten minutes later.

"Am I safe to enter further?"

Beth nodded and watched him jokingly take a few cautious steps toward her. He way laying it on pretty thick.

"My god, I'm not going to bite you," she rolled her eyes and stared daggers at him.

"Sorry," He dropped the joke and strode quickly toward her. When he was about a yard away she put her hand up and he stopped there.

Beth opened her mouth to speak, but Gareth was quicker, "I have a proposition for you, Beth."

"What?" Beth furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and watched him fish into his pocket and pull out a key, "What is that?"

"My proposition. Until you feel the need to move on, I'm offering that that you remain here with us. This is a key to a spare room we have, you can move out of the hospital wing and stay there if you want."

Beth blinked a few times at the key, "I have no idea what this place really is even. You basically kidnapped me. Would you mind telling me about Terminus….specifically who else is here besides you?"

"Sure, I'll tell you anything you want," Gareth moved closer to the bed and set the key down on the bed.

"Have you taken anyone else in recently, besides me?" Beth kept it sort and simple, she didn't want to tell him anything too concrete quite yet.

"I already told you, we didn't know you had a partner…."

"No that's not what I mean, just like generally speaking, have you taken anyone else in?"

"Well, sure. We took in another girl a few weeks ago..."

Beth felt the little bud of hope in her stomach bubble and leaned toward him excitedly.

"…But she didn't survive a supply run we did last week," Gareth had a sad look on his face, as if recalling it was painful for him. "It was really unfortunate, she was a great girl."

"What was he name?" Beth chewed the inside of her cheek, the excitement was replaced by nervousness.

"Emily."

It was a relief, she didn't know anyone by that name, but Beth didn't relax. There were still others that could have made it, "Anyone else?"

"A few, but they opted to leave. They were just passing through, something about family in Kentucky. That was two or three months ago."

"That everyone?"

"Yup."

Beth slumped down in disappointment. That meant no one from the prison family was here. Beth bit her lip and silently started picking at her finger nails. She was almost positive that at least someone else besides her and Daryl got out. Was she really alone?

The idea of being alone struck a nerve with Beth. She had left completely alone when her mother died and it made her feel empty inside. She'd never really been alone since then. Beth always had someone she knew that she could spend her time with, even if it was just baby Judith.

"Beth, I promise we'll take good care of you if you choose to stay," Gareth smiled sweetly at her.

"Who is _we_ even? What is Terminus exactly?"

"I told you, it's a sanctuary. We are a community and we depend and trust each other. Including you we'd have just over twenty five people here."

A community. Beth thought about the prison, they had all had their job and depended on each other. They didn't lie about the refuge they offered like the Governor did. Maybe she could give Terminus a chance. At least until she was healed.

"Could you maybe show me to the room?" Beth grabbed the key from the bed and pressed it into her palm. Only until she was healed.

**AN: Okay so Beth decided to stay, but she hasn't given up on or forgotten about Daryl. REMEMBER THAT.**

**Leave reviews lovelies :). **


	5. Chapter 5

Beth sat tolerantly as the "doctor" Gareth sent in tended to her ankle; he was anything but gentle about it. When Daryl wrapped her ankle he made a point of not jostling it too much or making the bandaging too tight. This guy was doing the complete opposite and it was making Beth tighten her jaw and she was forcing herself to choke down the nasty things she would have liked to say.

"Ahh," Beth grinded her teeth together when she at last lost the battle with herself and let a gasp of pain escape.

"Sorry," the boy looked up at her apologetically and then his eyes shifted back now to assess his work. "It's a bit um…"

"Its fine," Beth didn't think she could control herself if he decided he needed to start over.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly a real doctor if you couldn't tell," He got up from his crouching position on the floor and looked sheepishly at her. "Before all this I was just a volunteer at Red Cross."

"So you're the best they got?" Beth didn't mean for it to sound rude or unappreciative, but when she said it she realized that's probably how it sounded.

He didn't seem offended though, he seemed a little amused actually. "Oh no, thank goodness. I'm really just a volunteer again, but our doctors are in demand right now, so you get stuck with me."

"What are they busy with?" Beth wondered if there was a sick person here and if the Terminus people knew that you turned no matter how you died now.

"Nothing you really need to be concerned with," he held out his hand to help Beth down form the bed and she took it. When she stood it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would, maybe he did a better job than they both gave him credit for.

"Thank you very much," Beth gave him one of her smiles to show that she really meant it.

"No problem," He smiled back.

"Cameron," Gareth at some point had shown up and was calling the boy – Cameron apparently – over to him.

"Yeah?" Cameron looked over at Gareth like a first mate might look at their captain.

"I need you to go feed the stock," Cameron nodded once, said goodbye to Beth and left Gareth and her alone in the room together.

"You have livestock here?" Beth was a vegetarian before the turn, but now she enjoyed and was extremely thankful for any sort of meat she could get to sustain herself.

"Yeah," Gareth shrugged and changed the subject, "Now that we got you ankle wrapped, how about I show you to your new room."

"That sounds good," Beth was only conscious for probably half a day, but she was ready to leave this room behind for good.

…

Gareth offered Beth help walking, but she declined, she wanted to test out the job that Cameron did on the ankle. They made their way into the hallway and Beth walked a little slower than she was probably capable of and looked around. She was hoping to learn something more about this place. But there was nothing on the plain brown walls or anything on the similarly plain colored and floors. The ceilings were a basic white with large, lowered, lights hanging a few meters apart all the way down.

"We have generators, but we try not to waste too much energy, so we keep everything lowered unless it's extremely needed" Gareth was a couple steps in front of her and must of guessed she was looking around.

"Hmm," Beth really had nothing important to contribute to the attempt at conversation, all she really could have added to it was how the lighting just made the already dull colors even gloomier.

Everything Beth had seen in Terminus so far, being just the hallways and the hospital room had been all dreary shades and she hoped for nothing more that there would be a window of some kind in her room.

The walk to the room was long and confusing. They went down the dimly lit hall and took a ridiculous amount of rights then an equally outrageous amount of left turns. At some point they passed a stair case leading down and Beth wondered if that was the basement, or if there were multiple stories to the building they were in, and how many buildings they were for that matter. Terminus was still a mystery to her really. She knew nothing about this place. All she'd focused on so far was survivors – or lack thereof – from the prison.

Gareth walked in front of her for most of the trip, leading her, and Beth was fine with that. He'd been nothing but nice, but she couldn't decide if she was getting a bad vibe from him or not. Maybe she was just biased because he was he one to tell her what happened and she had the kill the messenger attitude toward him, but she wasn't going to be telling him secrets anytime soon or letting him braid her hair.

"Here we are," Gareth finally stopped in front of a door with the numbers 131 on it, "Can I see your key?"

Beth was still holding the key in her hand from before Gareth sent Cameron in to wrap her ankle and released her grip on it. She didn't realize she'd been holding it so tight that there was an imprint on her palm from it. She held it to him and he took it.

"Thank you… oh and try not to lose this, it's the only copy," Gareth fit the key into the lock and turned it, they heard the click, indicating it was unlocked now. "Would you like to do the honours?"

Gareth moved out of the way, making room for Beth at the door to open it herself. She took the offer up and twisted the doorknob, opening the door into her new room.

It was bigger than the last, but just as bland. There were ugly, sad blue colored walls, a single bed with grey sheets on the back wall in the middle, and to her dismay, no windows. There was however another door on the on the right side of the room.

"What's in there?" Beth headed towards the door.

"That's the bathroom."

"With running water?"

"Running, hot water."

Beth was absolutely ecstatic when Gareth said those words and made up completely for no windows. They'd had a pretty decent set up at the prison, but there was an absence of hot water and Beth longed for that since the farm. The mentioning of the bathroom also made Beth very aware of the stench coming from her. She'd spent almost a week in the hospital bed and reeked of her own soil.

"I'll come get you in a few hours for breakfast?" Gareth began to leave the room.

"Breakfast?" Beth's concept of time was completely off, she had no idea that it was even daylight out.

"Yup," Gareth left the room, closing the door behind him.

Beth was already behind the bathroom door undressing and hoping there was soap.

**AN: I'm going to be updating every Tuesday and Thursday from now on (only Tuesdays if I don't add twice a week). But I'm just saying now that I suck at schedules and will probably still had randomly. I will try my best however. **

**Okay thanks for reading loves. **

**Review, review, review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl's finger hovered lightly over the trigger of his crossbow as he followed the tracks. He avoided every twig that could snap under his foot and even with the forest floor covered in the fallen leaves from autumn, he managed to make next to no sound. It was something he no longer had to practice, being silent, he had years of experience on his back and it was his nature.

He saw the deer he'd been tracking tail from the corner of his eye and side stepped, the end half of its body now visible, and then in the entire deer was in full view. It was lucky enough to turn its head in time to see Daryl before his finger could react fast enough to make the kill shot and tried to make its escape. The bolt went flying into the deer's side while the creature was in its second stride and it stumbled a bit. Daryl reloaded as quickly as possible and continued after the, now wounded, deer. The second bolt hit a few inches to the left from the first, closer the hip and the thing was slowed down enough that Daryl could get close and run his knife from one side of its throat to the other.

It wasn't so lucky after all.

Daryl examined the doe, he didn't show it on his stony face, but this was best game he'd got in a while and it was pleasing. It was a decent size, young, but had plenty of meat on its bones; more than enough for him. There was the option of bringing it back to the house for the rest of the men, but then again, why should he? They were nothing more than expendable to him. He made the decision to take what he could for himself and leave the rest behind. The walkers were more deserving of the meat than those men.

He didn't have a game bag or even his garbage bag with him however. He wasn't expecting to find a deer on his hunt, he was expecting something more along the lines of fluffy and tiny, and was pretty limited on what amount he could take without lugging the entire deer with him. This changed his mind and he decided to cook it and eat as much as he could there.

When the fire was crackling and the meat was cooking over it, Daryl sat against a tree and looked at the sky. The sun rose a while ago, but the sky was still slightly pink. He'd have to go back soon. The group liked to leave as soon as the sky was blue. They figured that the man they were hunting started moving shortly after that and they were going to be close on his trail as they could.

The meat didn't take long to cook, Daryl liked it rare, and he ate it quickly. It'd been a while since he ever indulged in eating slowly and enjoying it, food was food, although the strawberry was a treat. When he was done he threw his crossbow over his shoulder and began to head back.

…

The men were already to go when Daryl got there and Joe was in a particularly good mood. He was leaning against a rail, smoking and laughing along with a few of the others, "Ah Daryl, there you are. Time to go," he smiled at flicked his ashes from his cigarette and took a long drag.

"We in a rush?" Daryl walked up the stairs to the porch of the house. It reminded him somewhat of Hershel's old farm house. Big and white and something nicer than he had ever lived in himself. He pushed the thought of the farm house out of his mind though as his thoughts drifted to Beth and how she grew up in a place like this, and how she had been so unequipped for this world.

A chill was sent down Daryl's spine as he watched a twisted grin spread across Joe's face, "We're catching up". Joe took one last drag and finished his smoke. He dropped it onto the porch and crushed it with his foot, then pulled out a new one and lit it. "I sent Dan out a while after you left to do some scouting. He found some fresh prints, not a day old."

Daryl had no response to that. He went back into house to grab his bag and made his way up the stairs. Taking his sweet time in doing so. They were catching up, and that meant he'd be making an exit soon.

In the room he'd been staying in and found his bag on the dresser he'd left in on the night before. Beside the dresser was a full length mirror. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was in his thirties but he looked older. He looked timeworn, exhausted. Maybe when he left this group he'd sleep better and finally be able to make a plan on where to start looking for answers about Beth.

Someone banged the side of the house, the way they did when he checked for walkers, and it ran through the entire house. Joe's voice bellowed, "We're leaving now if you'd kindly move your ass, thank you."

Daryl left the room and went down the stairs and onto the porch. The group was already off it and walking away from the house. Daryl followed. They were moving at a fast pace, clearly motivated by the proximity of their prey and Daryl wondered if he should bother catching up.

In a way, they were the best thing he had, but they were also the worst he could have. They were a lot like Merle. Daryl loved his brother, but he didn't want to drift along with these men like he did with Merle, having them call all the shots. It was poisonous. If he didn't leave them behind it would kill him, Beth taught him that.

**AN: I think Daryl was probably torn about leaving them in the show. They were all he had. But they were expendable to him. He needed them like Michonne needed her pets.**

**I wanting to let you all know that I am going to be adding a Bethyl AU soon and would really like if you all took the time to read it when it's up.**

**Ta-ta for now. **

**REVIEW, REVIEW MY PRETTIES.**


	7. Chapter 7

Beth got out of the shower and wrapped one of the white towels hanging on a rail near the shower around her body, under the armpits, and secured it tightly. The air in the bathroom was humid and the mirror above the sink was steamed up. All together the shower and afterward made Beth feel warm and tingly.

Beth took a few steps and was across the bathroom at the sink. She wiped her hand across the mirror and cleared a little spot so that she could see herself. She hadn't seen her reflection in a mirror for at least two months, before the prison fell. Her cheeks were more sunken in then she remembered and the circles under her eyes were darker, but other than that she was the same old blonde hair, blue eyed Beth.

When Beth got left the bathroom she saw that there was a clean set of clothes folded neatly on the bed. She couldn't remember if they were there before when Gareth showed her the room but didn't really question it.

She walked to the bed, her wet hair dripping onto the floor as she did, and examined the clothes. They looked like they'd fit her fine. However, when she took off her towel and started shimmying into the pants, she noticed she'd lost a significant amount of weight.

Her hip bones protruded more than the usual and she could probably count every single one of her ribs. Her body must have been in complete overdrive during the week she was out, absorbing all of her fat and muscle on her body. The doctors apparently didn't see the need to try to tube feed her or something.

The thought of food made Beth's stomach rumble and she dressed quickly, hoping Gareth would make an appearance soon and take her to breakfast.

There wasn't a knock on her door anytime soon though and Beth wondered if he'd forgotten about her. Beth's stomach was complaining louder and louder as the time past and finally Beth couldn't take it any longer. She grabbed her key and swung the door open, positive she could find her own way around if she tried.

She started heading down the hallway and as soon as she came to the first turn, she was lost, unable to remember if she should go left or right. Luckily she heard someone call her name and she turned around to see Gareth jogging down the hallway to catch up to her.

"Hey, where are you going?" Gareth craned his neck over her shoulder to look down the hallway in the direction she'd been heading.

"I was going to see if I could find my own way to breakfast, I'm starving," Beth's stomach chimed in with a grumble to help emphasize.

"Well first, you're going the wrong way," Gareth chuckled and turned around, jerking his chin to tell Beth to follow. "Second, you probably shouldn't go anywhere without me just yet."

Beth walked a little quicker and fell in stride with him. "Why not?"

"Well, it's pretty easy to get lost here, plus you know, you're technically still an outsider," Beth understood what Gareth was saying, they were worried about who she really was. At the prison they were the same. People could lie about themselves and taking in someone new could set you on the edge of your seat.

"Okay, so just stick with a Terminus member for now, sounds good," Beth showed a few people from prison around, they all felt safer when someone was with the newcomer.

"No, just me."

Beth was a little baffled by this, they didn't assign specific people at the prison. "Why?"

"I'm vouching for you." Gareth made a sharp turn and they came to a staircase it might have been the one she saw earlier, but with all the twist and the turns it was impossible to be sure.

"Vouching?" Beth focused on making sure her foot was on the step before she stepped down, it was hard to see in this light.

"Yeah, to be taken in you need to be vouched for by one of the members until the rest of the group knows for sure they can trust you," there was another set of stairs after a small split level after the first.

Beth didn't say anything more about the whole vouching thing. She didn't fully understand it and an interesting concept, but right now she was too hungry to ask about the Terminus politics and she could sense they were getting close to the food.

After the second set of stairs, they came to a set of doors, like the ones you'd see in a high school, and Beth could see bright light coming from the cracks at the bottom of the doors. It was anything but artificial and she waited excitedly for Gareth to push them open.

The outside light was blinding at first. She stepped onto the concrete ground and shaded her eyes with her hand. Beth tried to look around, squinting at the buildings around her. She was whipping her head around side to side and ran directing into Gareth's back.

"Sorry," Beth lowered her hand and let her eyes adjust properly.

"It's fine, it's a lot to take in at once," Gareth put his hand on her shoulder blade and led her on. "I'll show you some stuff as soon as we're finished eating."

The smell meat of cooking filled Beth's nostrils as they got closer to where they'd be eating. As they rounded one last corner came into a common area and Beth saw a woman standing at a giant grill, flipping chunks of meat. Her mouth watered. Several other people, at least twelve, were sitting around in the courtyard like area at tables eating.

"Hey, Mary," Gareth greeted the woman grilling.

"Hello Gareth, this the new girl?" Mary lifted her tongs in the direction of Beth.

"Yes, this is Beth," Gareth smiled at the woman and turned to Beth, "Beth, this is Mary. Best cook in the apocalypse."

"It's very nice to meet you," Beth reached he hand out and offered it to Mary, who took it with her tong free hand and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you too," Mary looked over Beth, "My goodness, you have nothing on your bones! I'll make you a plate."

Mary grabbed a plate from the stack near the grill and loaded it up with meat. Just meat. There was no other option, but it didn't bother Beth much. Mary handed her the plate and Gareth took one too. He led her to a bench with a few other people sitting there and introduced her. They said hello and Beth smiled at them.

She sat down across from Gareth a watch as he lifted a piece of meat with his hands and started eating it. Beth picked up her own and sunk her teeth into it. The taste of the meat filled her mouth and she couldn't exactly place what animal it was. But as she chewed she decided she didn't care, it was delicious.

**AN: What did you all think of this chapter? What's your opinion on the vouching concept? It's a little like claiming. And the mystery meat? I'm sure you all know where I'm going with this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I'm super happy to have reached the follows that I have already (even though I know that it is very minimal compared to some. But it really just amazes me that I managed to reach this amount even!)**

**I'm going to be adding my new Bethyl AU in about an hour. I hope all you lovely people will take the time to read it!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure?" Joe was sitting across from Daryl, who was watching as Tony updated him. They'd stopped about an hour after sundown, after tracking all day, to regroup and check their weapons; Tony was sent ahead to scout.

"Positive, he's sitting by a car with a bitch and kid, about five miles away," Tony had an animalistic look in his eyes that the other men were starting to mirror.

"Well, we best be getting a move on than," Joe popped his rounds back into his gun and pushed himself off the brush, "tonight's the night boys."

Something made Daryl move forward as the other men went weaving through the trees. He was going to leave. But the words bitch and kid... he had tried to brush off the sick feeling it gave him when Joe had first mention it, but he could never shake it. He was going to have their blood on his hands just as much as the other men if he didn't do something, they weren't responsible for Lou's death.

Could he really go against Joe and the others? They had a lot more man power, he was just...him. If he tried he himself might end up dead. He had to make a decision fast. They were getting closer. Daryl counted the miles down in his head.

Three miles to go. He could hear Joe's heavy breathing in front of him.

Two miles to go. Everyone was being hushed.

One mile to go. The shuffle of feet was getting quieter as the flickering of flames came into view. Joe made silent hand gestures to each one of the men, showing the where to go to surround the man and woman sitting at the fire, with their backs facing the trees. The kid wasn't in view.

Daryl lingered in the tree line as the men moved silently forward. They moved as quietly as Daryl did on hunts, and this was exactly what this was for them, a hunt. They were trapping their prey and this was the moment Daryl should have left. But he stayed. If there was an opportune moment he'd try to take it.

There was a click of a gun safety and Daryl could hear Joe talking now, taunting them. His voice carried to the trees. "Today is the day of reckoning, sir..."

Daryl moved started moving forward a bit to get a better look at the situation.

"Four Mississippi!"

Judging by the way the men were placed, if he tried anything he'd be dead in seconds. If he was dead that meant there was no chance of ever finding Beth. Daryl started to turn and that's when the fire illuminated their faces. Two faces he could never forget. People he considered his own, unlike these men. In an instant Daryl was turned back around and exiting onto the road and rounding the car, forgetting he stood alone. "Joe - hold up"

Joe looked surprised by his outburst, "You're stopping me at eight, Daryl."

Daryl moved closer to check if eyes were fooling him, but they weren't, it was Rick and Michonne. He swore up and down he'd never see them again, thought they were as good as dead, but there they were sitting on the ground. With guns pointed at their heads. "Just hold up."

The man holding a shotgun on Daryl left spoke up, with malice in his voice, "This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about."

Daryl could see the interest Joe's face about his connection to these people, "The thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time. Say your piece, Daryl."

Daryl looked down at them and the one thing he could think of, the only case he could build was the words Beth had gotten stuck in his head, "These people, you're gonna let 'em go. These are good people."

Daryl thought maybe Joe could be reasoned with. He was the one that came up with the rules after all. If Daryl could reason with Joe he could save them.

"Now, I think Lou would disagree with you on that," Joe put his hand on his chest, still holding the gun with the other "I'll, of course, have to speak for him and all 'cause your friend here strangled him in a bathroom."

Daryl tried to come up with an offer, "You want blood, I get it," Daryl set down is crossbow and raised his arms, Take it from me, man. Come on"

"This man killed our friend," something in Joe's face changed then. The same way it had when he decided that Len was going to die. "You say he's good people. See, now that right there is a lie."

Daryl's arms fell to his sides. Joe liked him, but not as my as he wanted revenge.

Joe shouted, "It's a lie!"

Daryl felt the butt of the shotgun go into his stomach and knock the wind of him. He heard Rick yell no. The second blow went into his jaw, the third his eye. They slammed him up against the car and he tried to fight back uselessly. With every blow he could feel his sleepless nights catching up to him and how weak he really was.

Joe was taunting Rick again and Daryl could hear the car door open. Carl was inside. Rick was pleading now. "Listen, it was me. It was just me!"

Joe spoke, "See, now that's right. That's not some damn lie."

Daryl fell to the ground and the men paused for a second then continued on. A foot went into his rib cage and he could feel it crack.

"Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men. First, we're gonna beat Daryl to death. Then we'll have the girl. Then the boy. Then I'm gonna shoot you and then we'll be square."

Joe's laugh was practically a cackle.

Suddenly there was a gun shot. Then another. Daryl's vision was blurring, but he could hear every grunt and laugh. Every whimper coming from helpless Carl.

Every gurgle.

Joe screamed and suddenly everyone stopped. Daryl's vision focused just in time to see everyone watching as Rick tore away from Joe's neck and spat out his flesh. This was not the opportune moment Daryl had been thinking about, but it worked. Michonne was the first to act, sending a bullet into Tony's neck and he was next.

He pushed himself back up and tried to get a swing in. He ignored all the fatigue he was feeling, all the defeat, and his hand collided with his one of his attacker's face. Michonne sent another bullet into the other. With all the force he could manage, Daryl's boot went down on his attackers face and he could feel his skull crush underneath it.

Daryl heard Rick practically growl, "He's mine," and turned around to see him repeatedly shoving a knife into Dan's chest and neck. He could only stand there and watch. The rest of them were dead around them, Joe had gotten off easy compared to the death this man was receiving for touching Rick's son.

**AN: I have been MIA since like Tuesday I know. I'm a student though and have to focus on school first! If it was possible I'd spend all of my time obsessing over Bethyl. But alas, that is not the case.**

**Now about this chapter. There are certain parts I tweaked about the fight scene (I'm pretty sure there was no fire anymore after Joe showed up) but it's nothing too drastic. Other than that it's basically right out of the show only from Daryl's POV. Of course I don't think he actually knew about their intentions toward Michonne/ and or Carl in the show until they announced it to Rick, so there's that too. **

**Okay. I'll be updating a lot this week too to so stay tuned.**

**And don't forget to check out my new AU. **

**Thank you everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

"It's okay we got it," Gareth waved his hand quickly at Beth and then swung it back under the corner of the dresser he and Cameron were carrying. "Just go open the door."

Beth had been offering to help the entire way to her room but they wouldn't let her with her ankle. She felt really bad, considering the dresser was for her room, but they were insistent on her not straining herself.

The dresser wasn't outrageously big, but it was big enough that you needed at least two people to carry it, and was made of a nice heavy wood. Gareth had taken Beth to a storage room earlier when he was showing her around and she liked it as soon as she saw it.

The storage room was the last thing of the day he showed her after dinner - which was more meat with a surprising side of grilled veggies - before the sun went down. All day he'd been showing her around, only interrupted by a few people whispering in his ear and lunch. He'd shown her where the tracks meet (the entrance to Terminus) and all the pretty sunflowers surrounding it. Gareth had taken her to a building where they make maps and signs to guide people and he showed the rest of the hospital wing.

The only thing that really interested Beth was the maps and she wondered where they were all placed, if people could read them easily. If the signs were in easy access then Daryl could follow them. Maggie could follow them.

When Gareth showed Beth the storage room he told her to pick out stuff that she liked so she could start making her room a bit homier. She didn't want to go overboard or step over the line, so she picked just two things, the dresser and a large pretty painting of lilies, which she was carrying under her arm as they made their way to her room.

Beth jogged ahead a bit and looked for the numbers 131, the hall was lined in doors and Beth wondered if everyone from Terminus lived on this floor. When she found her door she dug around in her pocket and got her key out. She opened the door just in time, Gareth and Cameron were almost running her over they were so close.

The two boys shuffled into the room, with Cameron going in backward, and Beth followed behind them. Gareth sounded slightly winded when he spoke, "Where do you want it?"

"Uhm..." Beth looked around the room, it was pretty spacious and there were a lot of options.

"Ohcomeon," Cameron was more breathless than Gareth and his words were strung together.

"Sorry, uhm, just there by the bed," Beth pointed in the direction she meant and they set it down with a huff on the left side of the bed.

"Is that good?" Gareth looked at the slightly crooked dresser and then at Beth.

"It's good enough," Cameron was bent over with his hands on his knees breathing heavily. "I volunteered for Red Cross, not U-Haul."

Beth laughed at him, he was the one that offered to help after all, and nodded her head, "It's perfect."

"Thanks you!" Cameron straightened himself up and began to leave the room, "have a good night Beth."

"Thanks for your help," Beth waved at his back as he exited the room leaving the door open.

"I'm gonna go find some clothes for you to put in that thing, so you can have some selection. I'll be right back," Gareth left the room and closed the door. Which Beth guessed meant she wasn't supposed to follow him.

While she waited she placed her painting on the dresser and leaned it against the wall behind it. Because the dresser was a little off kilter so was the painting, but Beth thought it added personality to it.

The items were both covered in a layer of dust and cobwebs and the thought of spiders came to Beth's mind. Even though they were in an apocalypse, Beth found spiders just as gross and terrifying as any other girl and she didn't like the idea of them crawling around in the dresser.

Beth opened the first drawer, there weren't any creepy crawlies inside, but instead there was a bunch neatly folded little girls clothing. The colours consisted of a lot of pastels that Beth herself would have dressed a child in. She pick up a cotton candy pink dress and unfolded it, holding it up in front up her. It was tiny, like something a toddler would wear, something like what Judith might have worn...

Beth felt the tears well up in her eyes and hugged the little dress close to her. Judith might not have been Beth's, but she cared for her like she was her own and loved that baby girl. The reason she ended up with Daryl after the prison fell was because she ran off the bus to try to find the kids. She wasn't able to find Judith, or any of the others though and she regretted not going back sooner.

There was a knock on the door, which was probably Gareth with the clothing he was getting for her, and Beth wiped her eyes and went to the door. Gareth was standing there with a pile that went from the bottom of his ribcage to his in to his chin. Beth moved out of the way and let him walk into the room and over to bed, where he set it all down and split it into two piles.

"I grabbed a bunch of stuff that looked like it'll fit you. Well at least better than those," Gareth motioned toward her clothing she was wearing at the moment, the clothes that were on her bed when she out of the shower this morning. "What's that?"

Beth saw his eyes go down to the dress bunch up in her hand, she forgot to put it back when Gareth came to the door. "Oh, I found it in the dresser drawer along with some other stuff."

"That's unusual, normally we check everything before it goes into storage. Sorry about that," Gareth went other to Beth and took the dress from her. He tugged it out of her hand really, she found herself not wanting to let it go.

"Its fine," Beth walked over to the dresser and started emptying it, "are there any kids in Terminus that these would be useful for?"

"Nah," Gareth started to help empty the drawers too. "We don't really like taking in small kids."

Beth stopped and gave him a look, "Why not?"

"Iunno. They aren't very useful, we like people that can pull their own weight."

"You wouldn't let me help carry a dresser even," Beth didn't like the idea of turning kids away at the gates, it seemed like a stupid reason not to let kids in because they couldn't do much, and they were helpless out there.

"There's a difference. You'll be able to help out in a matter of days, little kids can't for years," Gareth shrugged and started filling the top drawer with Beth's new clothing. When he was done he closed it and turned to where he'd put the kids clothes on the bed.

Beth bent at the waist and opened the second drawer, it was filled with more little kid clothes. She grabbed the first pile and started lifting it up, then she felt something crawling on her fingers and screamed.

"OHMYGOD," Beth's words were strung together like Cameron's when he was carrying the dresser. She dropped all the clothes and started flailing her arms around. She saw a tiny black thing go flying onto the floor and scurry away under the door to her bathroom.

Beth's panic was interrupted by Gareth's laughter. He was standing there hold his side and guffawing like a crazy person at her. "So let me get this straight...you're in a world of fresh eating monsters...and you're afraid of spiders?"

"Yes," Beth could feel her cheeks getting hot from embarrassment as Gareth went on laughing. "I just don't like them, okay."

Gareth saw that Beth was getting upset and tried stifled his laughter, "You're too funny Beth. You'll slash someone with a knife and then scream at a spider, it's great."

"A lot of people don't like spiders," Beth crossed her arms.

"I know, I know. I like that about you, you're really interesting," Gareth looked Beth up and down. The hungry look in his eyes made her uncomfortable. The air in the room seemed to change as he stared at her.

Beth cleared her throat, "We'll I'm going to go squish that spider before it tries to kill me in my sleep and then I'm going to go to bed. Thanks for showing me around today."

"Yeah, no problem," Beth watched him leave with children's clothes they'd taken out before the eight legged menace appeared and as soon as he was gone she swung open the bathroom door.

Finding/killing the creature took a lot of screaming and pumping herself up, but Beth did manage to finally kill it after multiple tries. After she indulged in taking another warm shower and then went through the clothes Gareth had brought her. She found a pair of pajama like shorts and an oversized white t-shirt that she threw on.

She noticed that the t-shirt had a palm sized red stained on it that she assumed to be blood. It looked like they'd attempted to bleach the blood out of it, but it didn't work. Gareth probably didn't even notice he grabbed it when he was getting everything. Beth took the shirt off and switch it for another. She'd give the shirt to him in the morning at breakfast.

Beth tossed the shirt onto the dresser by the painting and wriggled the tucked in sheet corners out from under the mattress. She got into the bed, which was softer than she expected and pulled the covers up around her. Feeling full and warm, Beth closed her eyes and went to sleep.

**AN: I like the idea of someone being afraid of spiders in the apocalypse it makes me chuckle to think of someone sending a knife through a walkers head then screaming like a little girl at a spider, I don't know. So this chapter is mostly more information about Terminus and whatnot, and some development for m version of Gareth. I hope it's enjoyable. **

**I'm working feverishly on the next chapter already. **

**Thank you for reading**


	10. Chapter 10

Every time Daryl moved his entire body felt like it might collapse into itself, but he couldn't stop. He wanted these bodies out of the way so that Rick or Carl or Michonne didn't have to see them. When the fight was over he'd gone around, putting his knife through each one of the marauder's skulls to make sure they didn't reanimate, and then he began dragging each of the corpses away from the car campsite. Michonne had offered to help, but Carl needed her more.

His injuries slowed him down a bit more than he anticipated and by the time he moved the last body (Joe) it was daylight. He didn't mind all that much though. He was using the time to think of what to say to the man he had presumed dead. There were so many things he wanted to say, but there were two things that needed to be addressed above the others first. Daryl wanted to tell Rick why he'd been with these evil men and wanted to tell Rick he understood that he had to do what he had to do.

He'd taken each body about half a mile away and after the last drag he knew exactly what to say. Daryl made his way back and went over it several times in his head. When he got back he saw Rick where he'd been since last. Daryl hovered a little ways away from Rick and watched him for a moment.

The man's hands were shaking and his clothing and scruff were covered in Joe and Dan's blood. Daryl grabbed a water bottle and rag from his back and walked over to Rick, he wet the rag and tried handing it to Rick.

"We should save it to drink," Rick objected.

"You can't see yourself, he can," Daryl nodded his head toward the car where Carl and Michonne had placed themselves to sleep. Rick took the rag after that, for his son's sake. With a deep breath Daryl sat down beside Rick as he wiped his face and took a few beats to think about everything one more time.

Daryl started off, "I didn't know what they were."

Everything that Daryl had planned say went out the window when he realized that this was Rick, a man he'd spent so much time with that he understood him in just a few words. Rick nodded his head and asked, "How'd you wind up with them?"

Daryl knew that Rick was going to ask him that, it was something he'd tried to repair himself wince dragging the bodies, but the words came out with an awful taste, "I was with Beth. We got out together. I was with her for a while."

There was a lull in the conversation and then Rick asked another question "Is she dead?"

Was Beth dead? He'd asked himself that question since she was taken. He wanted to search for her, yeah, but it was only on the small whim of faith that she'd given him. Daryl made eye contact with Rick and said the only thing he could honestly thin_k, _"She's just gone. After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but… they had a code. It was simple, stupid… but it was somethin'. It was enough."

Daryl didn't know how much Rick took out of what he said, but he had a feeling Rick picked up on what was left tacit. "And you were alone."

For Daryl that was no excuse for him to stay with those men and he continued on trying to explain himself, "Said they were lookin' for some guy, and last night they said that they spotted him. I was hangin' back, I was gonna leave. But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you three, right when you saw me…" Daryl thought about the next, if it was true or if he just wanted it to be, "…I didn't know what they could do."

Daryl couldn't look at Rick anymore, he was ashamed of himself for letting this happen. He felt the full responsibility for it. Everything that had happened since the prison was on his shoulders like always and now this was added on to it.

"It's not on you, Daryl," Rick was giving Daryl a compassionate look that he didn't feel like he deserved. "Hey. It's not on you". Daryl couldn't say anything, Rick was just dismissing everything that was weighing him down. "You bein' back with us here, now, that's everything."

Daryl swallowed hard and let that Rick was saying sink in.

"You're my brother."

The last part of that caught Daryl off guard. To both of them, brotherhood was something that was sacred. The last time Rick called someone his brother, it was Shane, someone who stood in the steed of a biological brother and someone he had grown up with and shared a bond with until the turn. Daryl's real brother was dead, but he missed Merle, even if he was an ass. In their type of brotherhood they carried each other's burdens. Daryl looked at Rick and felt more reassured than he ever had before.

Now that the first issue was addressed Daryl carried on to what he wanted to begin with, "Hey, what you did last night, anybody would've done that."

It was Rick's turn to pile his burdens. "No, not that."

Rick had been savage last night, but Daryl didn't believe it was because he was a savage. Rick was a good person faced with difficult situations, "Somethin' happened. That ain't you."

Rick seemed to disagree though, _"_Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese. It ain't all that, but that's me. That's why I'm here now, that's why Carl lives. I want to keep him safe. That's all that matters."

He had said what Daryl had been thinking, that he did it for his son. The will to sacrifice for what you wanted and needed was nothing new to Daryl Dixon.

**AN: Yup another scene straight out of the show with my own little pazazz to it. This scene with Rick and Daryl was so frigging heart wrenching (holla at my Brotp) it was absolute perfection and I hope I didn't butcher the hell out of it. **

**I just realized its Wednesday. I thought it was Tuesday all day and I was like, "yeah I'm actually uploading when I said I was gonna". But nope. The May Long Weekend messed me up, my bad. On a good note I don't have school Friday so I'll probably upload two or three chapters on that day. **

**I would like to thank everyone for reading and you're all absolutely amazing and I appreciate you guys all so much! xxxx**


	11. Chapter 11

Gareth had taken Beth back to her room after breakfast in the morning, and told her he'd come by later to get her when he was done with a council meeting he and helping paint maps. She had protested, telling him that she could help paint at least, but he came right back with the argument that yesterday was a big day for her and that she should take it easy.

He'd been looking down at her ankle when he said it; the bandaged was all gross and water stained from the copious amount of showers she'd been taking over the last two days. She had to admit it was a bit sore from all the walking she'd been doing yesterday and agreed to stay behind. Beth wished her ankle would heel so that it could stop being used as an excuse for her not to help and explore more. She remembered after that she'd promised herself that she'd leave when she was heeled though. Terminus was supposed to be temporary.

It made Beth mad at herself for getting sucked in not a two whole days into being at Terminus. She'd liked the idea of making her room homier and went with it. It hadn't been symbolizing her wanting to stay when she picked the painting and dresser out. It just who she was, Beth wanted to be comfortable in the places she was. But this was becoming too comfortable.

Beth shook her head and sat on her bed in a huff, thinking about Terminus and what she should do; going over all the pros and cons. When she couldn't think of it anymore, afraid she might explode, she laid down on her back and counted the ceiling tiles to keep her mind busy.

By the time she'd recounted them all twice Beth could feel her eye lids getting heavier and begging for sleep. One of the pros of Terminus that she'd been thinking about before counting and one of them was that she could fall asleep in a place that was a labyrinth to any outsiders and it was gave her a little sense of security.

**. . . **

The sound of machine guns firing filled Beth's ears and woke her up not two hours later. She had sat right up and was looking in all directions in her sleepy state trying to figure out what was going on. When she was fully awake and realized it was guns, her immediate thought was that they were under attack and she had to try to help.

But there was no way she could find her way outside, even he she had been taking the time to try to memorize it. She was unarmed and had no idea what was happening. All Beth could do was sit and listen to the endless rat-tat-tat of the guns going off. The last time she heard the sound of machine guns was the attack at the prison, they'd been fired wildly right up until the moment the prison completely fell.

Images of the battle with the Governor started flashing across Beth's eyes every time she blinked the longer she listened to whatever was going over outside. Her eyes would close for a tenth of a second and she'd see the Governor swinging the katana into her father's neck or see Maggie running off the bus to find Glenn. She found herself covering her ears and humming to try to tune it out, but it didn't work. Beth was breathing heavily with panic and confusion. The sound of the guns had triggered something inside her that she couldn't control.

When the firing stopped Beth was in a messy ball, with her knees tucked tightly into her chest, her eyed closed and her hands still pressed firmly against her ears. Her entire body was shaking. She couldn't find it in her to even move from her position on the bed until Gareth came bursting through her door ten minutes later.

Beth lowered her hands and looked up at him as he walked across the room to her with what looked like extreme concern on his face. "Oh thank god you're in here. I thought maybe when you heard the guns you'd try to get out and help…" Gareth had been talking and moving very fast and hadn't seen how pale she was at first, "…what's wrong?"

Even though she was still shaking, Beth manage to untuck her legs from her chest and sit up a bit. She bit her bottom lip, "I'm not weak."

"Beth I didn't say you were," Gareth sat down on the bed closer to Beth than she probably would have allowed if she wasn't feeling this way.

"I'm not weak," Beth repeated herself again and tried swallowing the lump building up in her throat.

"I know you're not weak. No girl that can kill a spider by herself is weak," Gareth smiled at Beth and extended his toward her, setting it lighting around her shoulder to comfort her. Beth laughed a short sort of hallow laugh and then looked at Gareth in the eye. He looked right back at her and they both let a few breathes pass. That's when she broke down.

She'd had her fair share moments where she couldn't hold back the tears, and this was one of those moments. She thought she had been getting stronger, and had been getting a better handle on her emotions. But clearly she'd been wrong.

In that moment she forgot the uncomfortableness he sometimes made her feel and Beth clung to Gareth. She had turned her body into and was almost on his lap sobbing into his shirt. He stroked her hair with his free hand and was maybe saying something soothing, but she couldn't hear him over her own mind. She was screaming at herself in her head to get it together, that Daryl wouldn't want her to cry. But once she started full on crying, she could never stop until she was all dried out.

**. . .**

Gareth stayed with her until Beth couldn't drop a single tear out of her eye to save her life. At that point his shirt was completely soaks with snot and tears and Beth had made space between them and was staring at it with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Beth mumbled. She was ashamed of herself.

"For what?" Gareth shrugged his usual shrug and smiled at her like he had before. "There's no shame in crying."

"In a world like this, crying can get you killed," Beth had probably cried more than anyone she had met since the world fell to shit and she knew exactly what she was talking about. Either the killing could be by your own hand or by those who think you're too weak.

"Beth, I hold you that we aren't going to let anything hurt you here," Gareth bravely started to inch his body closer to hers again.

"Then what was that outside?" The last of the sentence came out as a little hiccup.

"People were trying to kill us," Beth made a face at his explanation. He'd just said that she was safe here then said people were trying to kill them? That was the opposite of safe. "But we can get you trained with a gun and you can defend yourself and have your own weapon once you're truly part of Terminus."

"I know how to use a gun. Why were they trying to kill you?"

"Terminus has shelter, it has food and it has water. It's a dream for those who find it. But people can be selfish, Beth. Those people wanted us dead and wanted Terminus for themselves," Gareth ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "But it's not like you can blame them. Everyone wants to do what they think is best for the people they care for. Even if it involves hurting others. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah I do," Beth nodded her head, it's what everyone at the prison was willing to do, and it's what the Governor maybe meant to do. "So where are they?"

"Who?" Gareth blinked at Beth.

"The people that tried to kill you?" Beth wiped her nose with her sleeve, feeling a little back to normal and tired again.

"They're dead," Gareth got up and started heading out, he was catching on that Beth was feeling better. "We had to hurt them for the greater good. I gotta get back out there and start a meeting" Beth got up to see him out. She paused for a moment in the hallways with him.

"Thank you, for coming to check on me, and for staying with me."

"No problem. I'm vouching for you and you're my responsibility," Gareth took a step toward her and they were half a foot apart. "I'll bring you some lunch when the meetings done."

"Sounds good," Beth smiled at Gareth as he started to turn away. But he turned back to her and planted a kiss onto her forehead.

Beth was taken by surprise by his warm lips against her skin, but didn't back away. She had just spent a good while crying and she guessed that maybe he just wanted to reassure her or something, the way a family member right of. It only lasted a quick second and then he disappeared down the dim hallway.

Beth went back into her room and closed the door behind her. She felt a complete new exhaustion from all the crying she had done and she felt the need to wash her face.

While she was rubbing the cloth across her face she added to her pros list how nice of Gareth it was to come bursting into her room just to make sure she was okay. It didn't occur to her until later that the door was locker and that she was supposed to have the only key.

**AN: Gareth is so full of shit hey? I know I said two or three chapters but most of you know by now that I am a dirty little liar. Let me know what you think of this chapter and of Gareth. I'm always happy when I get reviews :)**

**Ahh we're already on chapter 11, where does the time go?**


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl crossed his arm and leaned up against the inside of the cold train car as he watched Rick and the others bunch up a bit. They were all talking at once in kind of hushed voices asking questions to one another and all the words were getting jumbled up. Rick had just finished telling everyone that these Terminus folk were screwing with the wrong people, and it somehow sent everyone into action, trying to get information.

"Okay," Rick's voice still has an animalistic edge in it and he didn't sound like he usually did when he talked strategy, but it did the job of silencing everyone. Rick cleared his throat a bit and sound slightly more normal, "One at a time. I want you to tell me everything you know about this place."

Maggie, Sasha, Bob and all the rest of them exchanged glances to see who was going to speak first. Surprisingly Eugene spoke before any of them, "What this here is a straight up six legged octopus in a jelly jar situation."

"What the hell did you just say?" Daryl was baffled by whatever had just come out the mouth of the man who looked like an even bigger redneck than him. He looked over at Glenn and saw everyone do the same.

"What he means is the place is screwed up," Glenn translated and then tried the best he could to explain Terminus. "They're extremely loyal to each other and are run by this guy, Gareth. He runs the whole show, he told us it was run by a group like at the prison, but he calls all the shots and they fall in line behind him. "

"I could tell, he had a self-righteous air to him," Rick's hand went to the scruff around his jaw and he scratched it, "What else? How'd you all end up in here?"

"We were here for two days before anyone really did anything to us. They showed us around, fed us, and then the third day…" Glenn's eyes shot sideways at Maggie.

"Gareth told all of us we weren't welcome at Terminus anymore. He said they didn't have a need for us. He told Maggie he could stay however long she wanted though, said he'd 'vouch' for her. He liked the looks of Maggie," Rosita's hand went off of her hips and made air quotations when she said the word _vouch_.

"What'd mean you vouch?" Daryl didn't like how the word sounded familiar to him.

"They've claimed you basically and you are allowed to belong here, only if they like you though," Rosita's hands where back on her hips.

"They tried to separate us all and Maggie fought back, we got our weapons taken away the first day, all we really had were our hands. Maggie slapped him so hard he probably saw stars," the corner of Glenn's lips twitched a bit, as if seeing Gareth slapped was in some way a little bit of justice. Daryl had to agree.

"As you can tell, he didn't 'ppreciate me slappin' the shit outta him and they had a lot more man power over us. They stuck guns to our head and swore they would shoot if we made a single wrong move," Maggie's twang came out almost exactly like her sister's, "They led us here and told us we were going to make one fine meal."

"What'd you just say?" Michonne gave Maggie a look like she must have misheard her.

Glenn took control of the conversation when Maggie started to look uncomfortable, "These people…they're…they cannibals."

"What?" Rick's face twisted in disgust at Glenn's statement and Daryl felt his doing the same. When they were running he'd seen something, even in his flight state it was hard to miss the tarps, but the thought of cannibalism didn't pop into Daryl's head. Maybe torture, but not that.

"They cut people up, fry 'em up and eat them, okay?" the man with the handlebar mustache, Abraham, cut it right to the chase.

"Are you sure?" Daryl watched Michonne instinctively move closer to Carl, "Are you sure they weren't just trying to scare you?"

"We all saw the tarps, Michonne," Rick had probably been the first to catch on and had been waiting for confirmation, "did you see any cows or pigs of any sort that could supply the amount of meat they had? No, Glenn's telling the truth."

"Sure as hell wish he wasn't," Daryl uncrossed his arms and pushed himself off the wall of the car.

"Yeah, me and you both, you didn't eat any of their food," Daryl couldn't tell if Glenn was trying to make a joke of it or not, "you four have probably been out in the woods eating Daryl's rabbits and squirrels since the prison fell."

"We just found Daryl this morning," Carl, had been quietly listening and taking in all the information, finally spoke up.

"So, you were alone out there?" Maggie turned to Daryl and he wondered if maybe she was thinking of her little sister. He didn't know exactly what he was supposed to tell her. Telling Rick had been one thing, but telling Maggie would be as hard as it could get for him.

"Not exactly," Daryl rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Carl, the damn kid, couldn't keep his mouth shut and before Daryl could try to say anything else he made another contribution to the conversation. "He was with a group of men, before he was with Beth."

The mood shifted suddenly in the train car as Maggie stared at Daryl.

"Who's Beth?" a girl with short dark hair who hadn't introduced herself yet joined them.

Daryl was amazed that Maggie hadn't said anything about her own sister to the people she was traveling with. Hadn't she tried searching for her at all? Did she think that Beth was at Terminus and she'd just reunite with her here?

"Beth's my little sister, Tara," Maggie turned her head quickly to the girl with the short haired girl and then back to Daryl, "How did… is she?"

Daryl took a deep breath, like he had when he went to explain to Rick, and tried to remember what he'd planned to say to him. That was the kind of explanation he needed to give Maggie. Everyone was silent and staring at him. If he could he would have used as little words as possible and head quickly out of site.

"Daryl…" Maggie took a step closer to him and had and extremely sad look in her eye. "What happened?"

Knowing he had to tell her, Daryl took one last deep breath and was shocked when his voice didn't come out as soft as he thought it would be. "When we got out of the prison together, we were on the road for a long time, two, three weeks maybe. We were constantly on the run, the walkers seemed to be every damn place we went…"

Daryl realized he was just added filler to his story and that's not really what Maggie wanted to know. It didn't matter what happened before the moon shiner's cabin. "Anyway, I let the girl use my cross bow, was teaching her how to track, and she got her foot caught in a bear trap."

Everyone was quiet, listening intently to Daryl. Some with pity in their eyes and he guessed they were probably thinking how unfortunate it was that he ended up with Beth. Daryl shook his head a bit and tried to ignore it, knowing he wasn't unfortunate. "I took her to this mortuary, the place was clean and safe. I thought we were safe there at least." Daryl had relived Beth being taken a million times in his head, but explaining it to them all seemed so much more real.

"We were eating, and there was a dog, he was there before… I thought it was just him again. I should have checked before I opened that door… I should have… there was a small hoard, but enough to make a shit storm. I told her to get out of the house, 'cause she was hurt. When I made it out..."

"Daryl, where is my sister?"

"I don't know. A car drove off with her in it." Daryl's shoulders slumped in defeat again. "I chased that thing all night."

"You did?" Maggie looked at Daryl with her hands lightly clasped in front of her mouth. Maybe Maggie was surprised he kept her around for that long, that maybe it would have just been a relief to him if Beth was gone.

"Yeah. Couldn't let her get away that easy."

**AN: I haven't updated in a while because school is absolutely crazy right now. There's a teacher strike and shit makes it hard to focus on anything but school work and passing and it's just insane. But I'm back and have a few more chapters lined up already.**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Daryl had to swallow what he just said for himself. There was truly no way he could have ever left that blonde. Even if she wanted to get away from him.

"Thank you, Daryl."

Daryl gave Maggie – who was moving toward him like she might hug him – a dumbfounded look. "What are you thankin' me for?"

"You took care of Beth. I know you're not the most patient of people and you probably lost your temper with her a lot, but you didn't leave her," Maggie closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck. His arms remained at his sides.

Daryl backed away from the hug at first, but let Maggie hold onto him for a few moments. Everyone was still completely focused Daryl and his story about Beth and where watching silently. Daryl shrugged a bit to let Maggie know she should stop. She got the picture and let go. Daryl sighed at her, "You shouldn't be huggin' me, I lost your sister."

Maggie gave Daryl the same look Rick had that morning. That stupid, forgiving look that was supposed to excuse everything. "That's not your fault. You helped protected her the best you could. You were even teaching her how to track, that's what you said right? There's always hope."

Daryl just nodded at that, Beth was a hell of a student to teach, but was getting pretty good at it. The ankle had just been a bump in the road for the amount of progress she made. He'd trained her for weeks after the moon shiner's cabin and before the mortuary.

"Dude. You let her touch your bow?" Glenn raised his eyebrows at Daryl.

"Yeah, what of it?" Daryl moved uncomfortably and avoided the strange looks that were being given to him by the people who knew his cross bow was an extension of his arm. The rest of the people in the car looked a little lost in the conversation, since they didn't even really know who Beth was.

Rick, thankfully, interrupted the awkwardness and tried to get them back on track. "The powdered milk outside, is that what they're feeding you?"

Glenn answered, but was still giving Daryl a look. "We refused to eat anything else."

"Maybe with no meat on our bones they'll decide we're not as tasty as we look," Abraham patted Rosita on the shoulder. She a glanced at his stomach, which was still looking bulky.

"Yeah, you better start fasting," Rosita rolled her eyes and sounded exasperated.

"I have hardly eaten anything since that feast I had myself when we got here, and you can trust me that when I say that came right back up and out."

Daryl wondered if everyone had thrown up. This man, who looked pretty unshakable had. The scent of all the waste that had been gathering in the car filled their nostrils as soon as they'd stepped in there. A lot of it had to of been them trying to get the meat out of their systems.

"How long have you been in here?" Rick continued to try to interject in the weird banter that was starting.

Abraham's facial expression changed suddenly and he answered, "We've been in here for over a week," he looked over Rick, Carl, Michonne and Daryl – sizing them up and deciding if they were serious and capable of getting out. "Now listen. If you have a plan you get us outta here let's hear it. I've got precious cargo and we're already supposed to be more than halfway to Alexandria by now."

"What's in Alexandria?" Rick asked and Daryl tried to decide what exactly their precious cargo was.

"A safe zone, where we can help stop this thing," Rosita turned and looked at Eugene, who'd been looking at her cleavage as the conversation went on. "Eugene is a scientist, he knows how it started and how to end it."

"That's impossible," Daryl scoffed at her. The man with the mullet looked about as much of a scientist as Merle. And even if he was they'd been to places that promised that kind of stuff before. Places like the CDC. Jenner chose to cop out instead and lit the place up. He had hardly given them enough time to escape the blast.

"It's not," Abraham stared him down and Daryl just stared back at him. He was going to share his thoughts but he decided he'd let Abraham live in his delusion. Daryl knew better than to argue while they were stuck in this situation with such tight space.

"If we can get everyone out, we will," Rick looked tired with everyone not giving him the information he wanted. "I want to know if there's any exits, besides climbing fences and the front gate."

"They kept us under pretty strict watch. There was never a time we could really explore. They showed us what they could wanted to without revealing what they were," Maggie gave Rick what he wanted. The people that they had been with for so long understood that Rick might not be their leader anymore but answered him when he asked. Especially when he was tired or on edge.

"We could charge them when they come to feed us. It's normally only a few of them. They think they're safe because we don't have weapons, but the fence is only meters away," Rosita suggested a plan but Daryl was skeptical.

Abraham seemed to be too, "That's too risky. We need to play a better hand to ensure Eugene's safety."

"To ensure of all our safety," Rick's had went onto his son's shoulder. Carl had remained quiet since his little moment of sharing. "My son's and people's safety is the most important thing to me."

"Your right hand man said we were your friends now too. Does that include us?" Abraham stroked his mustache, "If we're going into this with you, I want to know you're not going to sacrifice us for your wellbeing."

Daryl could see Rick considering the offer in his mind, maybe thinking of saying no. But Rick knew as well as anyone that they needed the numbers. "You have my word. We're all getting out of here alive or were going to die trying," Rick's eyes narrowed again. "As soon as we have a concrete plan, they are all going to wish they hadn't locked us up like animals."


	14. Chapter 14

Beth sat on her stool with her tongue sticking out slightly from her mouth and bending to the corner. There were creases in between her eyebrow from how hard she was concentrating on painting the thin red line onto the map. When she finished, she leaned back to inspect her work and Beth was pleased at how well it had actually come out. The last thing she had to do was put TERMINUS in big white letters and she'd be done.

"Looking good," the girl who had introduced herself as Becca was peering over at the map, "now make them about ten times faster."

In the time it had taken Beth to make one, Becca had finished about six, they weren't nearly as neat though. "I just wanna make sure people can read them exactly. I know I'd have trouble finding my way with a messy map."

The truth was Beth didn't even know what she was painting though. Gareth had taken her to the warehouse to help out because, as of two days ago, one of the people here had actually been shot and killed by the attackers and they were down one person. Gareth thought Beth would make a nice replacement, since she'd been demanding to help anyway. If she tried to figure out where this map was supposed to start, it'd take her hours. Gareth outlined what he wanted Beth to paint and told her he'd be back in about an hour to get her.

It was really a relief to not have him constantly shadowing her actually. From the time of the attack to now, Gareth had been completely focused on her. It was surprising to Beth that not even once did someone come up to him and whisper in his ear and he didn't even get whisked away to a meeting. It was just her and him and occasionally Cameron. They would walk around a lot, but Gareth didn't ever take her anywhere new. All the places he took her where what he'd shown her on the very first real day and nothing new since.

Beth guessed he might be deciding to integrate her further into Terminus more now because he was leaving her with the others and he'd show her more soon. So she didn't push him. Besides she liked the painting.

"Do you have family out there?" Becca finished her seventh map and glanced over at Beth. "Gareth told lots of us you had a partner. Are you hoping they seem 'em?"

"No I don't have a family out there," Beth probably answered a little too quickly. "I just want people to be safe and happy. Even if I don't have any close relations with them."

"What about your partner?" Becca raised an eyebrow at Beth.

That was an excellent question. What about Daryl? Beth could feel that her ankle was getting better, it would be completely healed in a matter of days. But she was still contemplating what she could do. To leave or to stay.

Beth might be okay out in that world now alone. She was still a little blonde that weighed one hundred pounds soaking wet and the only reason she got this far was because of the protection of others. However she did learn how pulled her own weight with Daryl. She knew how to light a fire, and she could find shelter and might be able to make a snare or two. She was certainly much better at killing walkers now than before. But all the things she had learned were done in the summer and autumn months. Winter was well on its way. Terminus was a well-supplied fortress that she could use. It' also be much easier for Daryl to find her here than for her to go out with the risk of freezing or starving to death.

"You know, if you choose to stay you could vouch for you partner like Gareth vouched for you." Becca really caught Beth's attention then. Gareth had somewhat explained vouching but not fully because Beth was famished. Beth had thought only leaders could vouch for people, but apparently not.

"Really?" Beth could vouch for her whole family and keep them safe if they were still alive and found their way here. Not that she would expect Gareth to ignore her if she'd asked him.

Gareth cared for Beth. That much was obvious, but she couldn't tell in what way exactly. She'd wasn't too good at readying the signs until they were right smack in her face. Daryl had been trying to tell her something in the funeral home and she didn't even realize he thought she already knew she was the reason until thinking about it later.

"Yup," the other people painting around them had been listening in on the conversation and all nodded their heads. "You're gonna be one of us if you want and we trust in our people's judgement. Gareth chose to vouch for you and we agree it was a good choice."

"She does seem like a lovely person," one of the men Beth had forgotten the name of spoke to Becca like Beth wasn't sitting right there.

"Yes, anyone she was with had to be just as lovely," Becca went back to her painting along with everyone else. Beth tried hard to suppress her smile at that comment. Most of the people she'd been with were rough around the edges, especially Daryl. If he showed up, they'd be in for a surprise.

"Let's go to lunch, I hear we're getting a special snack today," the man put down his brush and made the announcement to everyone.

"Is it something other than just meat?" besides the occasional side of vegetables the only thing that Beth had eaten was the meat. She wasn't complaining. She was putting the weight on she had lost and that was good, but Beth wouldn't of minded some fruit.

"Still meat, but I think they're makin' bacon," Becca pushed herself out of her chair and started following the rest of them out. Beth remained seated. She was supposed to wait for Gareth and it had not been an hour yet. She wanted to follow the rules, even if the word bacon made her mouth water.

"I'll be there soon, I just was wanna wait for Gareth to get me," Beth waved at the remaining people, who stopped at the door to wait for her it looked like, and started a new map.

She tried hard to ignore the thoughts of crispy, crunchy bacon running though her mind.

**AN: Hola compadres. I'm very sorry I haven't posted earlier than this. I'm actually pretty sick at the moment and this is the first time I've moved this much in about a week. I'm posting two chapters today though because I feel actually decent now and want to push my luck.**

**Now where's that rascal Gareth? **


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl was sitting on the floor of the train car, next to a sleeping Glenn and Maggie, studying his finger nails. Everyone was sleeping, even though you could tell it was daylight outside from the crack in the sliding door. They were all exhausted. Mostly from the lack of water and food. Daryl however was still use to not sleeping.

For the last two days they had been left in silence. No one came to feed them or speak to them since Gareth had thrown Daryl and them in there. They were trying to scare them or something. Show that they had all the dominance. Which was pretty true. The people of Terminus were the dominant ones. They could decide their fate at any moment. They were like their God.

If he had is crossbow with him, he could have cleaned the bolts and distracted himself like he use to when he didn't want to think about Beth, but he didn't. This time he was trying not to think about the possibility of becoming a meal. Which is what was going to happen if they didn't escape. Even with the days of silence they were about to as close to getting out has they had been the first day. Anyone could be next. Or the people they had in the other containers.

They'd heard yelling from a storage container when they were running through Terminus. He didn't know how many people were even in there exactly or who, but now he knew what they were for. Sick bastards. The idea that it could be Beth in one of those containers had crossed his mind. But it seemed unlikely to him. Or maybe he just didn't want to think it was likely.

Daryl glanced down at Maggie and Glenn. He was on his back and she was curled up into him with her head resting on his upper chest. They had told him that they were separated after the attack on the prison and they looked endlessly for each other. He admired their commitment, but he still couldn't believe that Maggie didn't think about Beth once. That girl could get into you mind so easily and it had been impossible for him to forget her, not that he wanted to...

Suddenly there was a metallic clang, followed by another and then another. Daryl sat a little straighter, beginning to get to his feet and everyone around him stirred. Rick was the first one completely up with his hands on Carl, shoving the kid behind him.

"What the hell!" Glenn was the next to be up with Maggie by his side, holding onto her. The banging continued and they would hear laughter coming outside.

The banging became louder and louder along with the laughter. Some voices even began to sing a song, as if they were children playing a game.

_"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"_ The singing became more vocal and the hands of several people were still hitting up against the side of the car, only slightly more rhythmically.

_"The big bad wolf!"_

_"The big bad wolf!"_

"What the hell are they doing?" Michonne's eyes shot around every time a hand made contact with the metal. It was always in a different spot. Daryl guessed they must be circling about it.

"Its fine, they're just trying to scare us. They'll probably throw milk in and leave," Sasha tried to reassure everyone, but the tone in her voice gave herself away.

"Everyone stand your ground," Rick's hand went to his belt, forgetting it didn't have a gun strapped to it. "No one gets taken."

The song finished and they could hear someone shushing the rest. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then the sound of feet walking around the car broke that silence again. Daryl strained to listen. There were far more than the one or two people that supposedly fed them.

When the sound of footsteps ceased, there was three more hits to the door of the car, like someone might be knocking and the door started to slide open. "May I come in?"

The question was followed by laughter from those behind him as Gareth and about a dozen other people entered the car. Daryl could feel his feet backing up, along with rest of his group, to the other end of the car. They were moving back like cornered animals. The very thing Rick had said they weren't.

Gareth cleared his throat. "So, who_ is_ afraid of the big bad wolf?"

No one said anything. They were supposed to hold their ground. Besides Gareth was some punk ass kid. He might have been charismatic and believed he was a leader, but the singing proved to be childish. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a minute or so, Gareth smiled, he had a calculating look on his face. "That one. We can take her."

Gareth's arm extended and his finger pointed in the direction of Tara. From the corner of his eye he could see her back further away from the menacing stares Gareth's group was giving her.

"There's no way in hell," Rosita spoke up and stepped in front of Tara to block anyone's way. "No one in here is afraid of you."

"Oh are you still mad that I didn't prefer you over the lovely Maggie?" Gareth laughed at looked over at Maggie with a confident smirk. "I'm sorry Rosita but I'm just not attracted to you in that way. You try far too hard with at tied up shirt."

This boy was such a jackass. Daryl couldn't stand him. "Listen, you're nothin' but a kid. You really think you and your little friends can fight off all of the adults?"

"I think we have a fair chance," there was the clicking of safeties behind Gareth and Daryl could tell that every single one of them had a gun. "I could just take the _real_ kid if you don't want Tara gone so badly."

There was a low growl and Daryl knew it was from Rick. Someone was threatening Carl again. "You're not touching my son."

"See, I think we are." Gareth started walking toward their group, with his pack following. His own hand gun went up and he held it to Rick's head. "Although, I'd much rather take Tara if you all would so kindly move out of the way. More meat you see."

Daryl's eyes darted around. There were at least four people still guarding the half open door. They had shot guns. The rest of his group were armed with just hand guns. Nothing else. They were smart enough not to bring any extra weapons in. Most of them were Maggie's age or older. They were surrounding them so as that they were in a loose circle. Mostly closer to Rick than anyone else. They might have a fair shot in fighting back.

"Take her."

Suddenly there were three people slamming into Rick and holding him against the wall. He was breathing heavily and yelling something. Daryl turned his head to see guns fly up and held up to everyone faces. When he turned his head back he was staring straight down the barrel of someone's gun. "I hope you know how to use that."

Daryl's arm fist connected with the stomach of the gun holder and he grabbed the person's wrist just in time to have the bullet sent out through the roof. In second everyone else was moving, trying to get away from their restrainers.

Maggie and Glenn were being held with their arms behind their backs, yelling vulgar things at Gareth, who seemed to have his hands free. They were whipping their bodies around furiously but couldn't get free. Abraham, Rosita, Eugene and Tara were backed right into the farthest corner and Abraham was trying to his best to protect all three of his them. Sasha and Bob weren't in his line of vision up Daryl did get a glimpse of Michonne and Carl darting across the car, maybe trying to get to Rick or the door.

Someone collided into Daryl, sending him into the wall across from Rick and the fighting ceased almost immediately after. Abraham tried to get one more good swing in, but the shot sent past him as a warning stopped him.

There was a mixture of voices yelling still though and then he saw someone one dragging Tara by her short dark hair out of jumbled group and to the door. She was also screaming and her hands were flying aimlessly around, trying to find something to grab onto to keep her from being taken. But there was nothing.

"Now take this as a warning," Gareth went over to Daryl and held his gun centimetres away from his bicep. "Try to fight back and..."

Without another word Gareth's finger squeezed the trigger and an agonising, white hot pain was sent through Daryl's arm as the bullet went through his limb and exited out the other side.


End file.
